Newer songs were sprinkled among the obligatory favorites in a spirited performance for almost three hours on Thursday at Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. Along the way, the spotlight illuminated each member’s distinctive talents – the guitar prowess of Stephen Stills, the idiosyncratic harmonic sense of David Crosby, the urgent and sentimental heart of Graham Nash.

In the best moments, all those attributes would come together to demonstrate again that Crosby, Stills & Nash remain one of rock’s legitimate super-groups, even in their golden years.

Early in the show, Crosby acknowledged that many in the crowd had seen the group before. In fact, it was only a little more than a year ago that CSN played Hard Rock Live, but Thursday’s set contained enough new wrinkles to keep things fresh.

Lesser known newer songs often compared favorably to the classics:

Nash’s sentimental side was sweet on the piano ballad “Here For You,” dedicated to his son’s young family. Crosby’s fragile, slightly dissonant chords on acoustic guitar were the foundation for the quietly beautiful “What Makes It So,” a song that unfortunately wasn’t written in time to be included on his latest solo album.

Not that the old favorites were ignored: Nash and Crosby showcased a breathtaking vocal blend on “Guinnevere,” while Crosby’s enduring defiance was palpable in a soaring “Almost Cut My Hair.” “Love the One You’re With,” one of several big sing-alongs, was a frisky romp.

On that song and others, Stills provided the perfect counter-balance to the softer stuff. He skillfully delivered rock and blues riffs that lifted “Long Time Gone,” “Treetop Flyer,” the Buffalo Springfield favorite “Bluebird” and others. In “Déjà Vu,” the contrast of his incendiary solo heightened the impact of the delicate Crosby-Nash harmonies.

In addition to Stills, the band’s guitar sound was augmented by the contributions of Shane Fontayne, part of a flexible ensemble that also featured organist Todd Caldwell, bassist Kevin McCormick and keyboardist James Raymond (Crosby's son).

Looking more comfortable on stage than he did last year in Orlando, Stills also showed his understated side on a twangy “Helplessly Hoping” and a solitary acoustic take on Bob Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country.”